ne 1961 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1950)

Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in
personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or
more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male
descendants at age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,
naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but
have been naturalized for 30 years will be eligible to vote

Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31
December 1977) is a hereditary monarch of the MUBARAK line of the
ruling Sabah family
head of government: Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallah
al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978), First Deputy Prime
Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992),
and Second Deputy Prime Minister Nasir Abdallah al-RUDAN (since NA)
were appointed by the Amir
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister
and approved by the amir

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-umma): elected members serve four-year
terms; elections last held 5 October 1992 (next to be held NA
September 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (50 total)
independents 50; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio
members of the National Assembly

Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none

Other political or pressure groups: several political groups act
as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists,
and secular leftists and nationalists

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAH
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER
embassy: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait